Rebound
by Lavenderpaw
Summary: A three-part prelude to my story Offspring of an Outlander. Completed.
1. Chapter 1

Prelude

**I. - **The night after the tragedy…

They came as a group.

"Nala," Tama called over to the other lioness cub, "Nala!"

When the little female saw her distant cousin, her eyes lit up and she rushed over to greet the blue-eyed, honey-covered cub. They laughed together and tussled around happily as all of the females from the Southern Lands greeted the Pride Landers. The Southern pride were nomadic lionesses who roamed the desert and other lands in search of rogues and of course food and water. As a result, all of the cubs were generally fatherless. Whereas the Pride Landers, Nala had known for a long time, were more about stability and reliability.

"How've you been?" Tama asked her cousin. Through the faint darkness the cub looked like she was more inquisitive then grieving. Nala only shook her head at talking about it.

"Where's Malka and Tojo?" She asked her own question instead.

The cub rolled her eyes at this. "Well, where do you think?"

Nala looked past her and saw that Chumvi was wrestling around with the other males.

"At least that gives _me_ a break," Kula sighed as she came up beside the two.

That's when Tama took more notice of her cousins' anxiety.

"I'm really sorry," she said quietly.

Both Pride Lander cubs nodded sadly.

The three girls got caught up in a sea of grown lioness legs. Nala had to move around and get separated from the others to avoid getting stepped on. Finally she managed to make it to the edge of the group and readjust herself to a more comfortable sitting position. Once she accomplished this, Nala noticed a medium-sized figure pass her by. It was a male lion probably months older than herself. She shied away as he passed her without one glimpse.

In the onset of night, Nala made out that his fur was a dark shade of brown and the tuft of mane that corded down the sides of his neck was so brown it was almost black. She made sure to keep low to the stone floor as he climbed up to a rock by himself and laid a distance from them. Intrigued, Nala slowly rose to her feet and made her way over to see him more.

A pair of legs cut her off.

She froze and looked up the length of them to see her mother's tight green eyes.

"What are you doing, Nala?"

The cub cringed at the suspicious tone.

"Just… walking." she smiled sheepishly.

Her mother grasped her loosely by the neck and wordlessly took her back to the group. It was just growing darker when they settled down for the long night ahead of them. But as the adults sunk into a restless slumber, the cubs stirred with the circulation of the events.

"Guys," Nala turned to the two females beside her, "Who is that older cub over there?"

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**I. **

"Rashow," Tama spoke with a note of reverence as she sat down by Nala and sighed longingly, "He never really talks to anyone, but he's so, so..."

"Old?" Chumvi inserted as he appeared by his sister.

"He's really tough, though." Tojo told the twins and Nala.

"Rashow's survived without a mom _or _a dad." Malka was next to address.

"But... that's not possible." Kula tightened her brown eyebrows together.

"For him it is," the cream, black-tufted lion nodded, "He showed up at our pride not long ago, and he's been helping us find food and avoid hyneas."

"Well, you're out of luck here." Nala turned to Kula and Chumvi knowingly.

"Why's that?" Tojo swiped at an itch on his mustard-yellow colored left ear.

"Because," the lioness cub continued darkly, "they're already here."

As the six friends settled down together for the night, Nala couldn't help it as her green eyes roamed up to where the form of the young rogue's body rose and fell with even breaths. He seemed to be attuned with himself, not needing the closeness or company of anyone aside from him. Her thoughtful eyes grew heavy, but she also felt her heart gaping wide because of him...

He had lived by himself since cubhood. But how? Why?

**II. **

The cool morning assaulted Nala's skin and she shivered as the reminder that she no longer was permitted inside the cave registered. She reached for the warmth of the others, but found that she was alone. The cub stood up on her paws and looked around as dawn ringed the far off borders that once signified freedom. A sigh escaped her mouth as she caught sight of a couple of her cousins off towards the edge of the stone wall, whispering...:

"What're you guys doing...?" she asked suspiciously.

"Shh," Tojo told her, "We can't tell you here."

Malka looked elated compared to the other cub, "Come on, Nala! Let's go!"

Confused but intrigued, she started off behind them before her mother or any of their mothers could wake up. The trio weaved through the swaying, dark green grasses as the wind began to pick up. Nala followed them and was surprised when the boys let her in front of them when they arrived to find that all of the other cubs were gathered around someone before them.

"So you've got her?" A young but deep voice inquired.

Chumvi grinned wickedly and tugged Nala to the head of the group.

"Right here!" Kula answered, taking Nala's other arm as the cub gawked.

"No, no wait... I don't know what you're doing!.?"

"_We,_" the dark-furred teen smiled enticingly at her, "were just going over on how to survive the hyneas." He eyed the cub interestedly. "I've heard from some reliable sources that you have had a first hand experience as I have?"

"That's..." Nala cringed slightly. "Right." She shot a look at the twins.

"Merciless, aren't they?" Rashow inclined his head at her.

"Yes," she felt obligated to agree, not quite sure, "They... they are-."

"Without mercy." He said flatly.

Nala knew Rashow was connecting with her - and only her.

"Yes." She said a bit more quietly.

He nodded. "That's why I need to instruct you on the ways of the hyneas so you will have a better chance at living," Rashow paced before all his recruits.

"Where do you..." Nala flicked her eyes up at him. "Come from?"

She sensed the other cubs tense up at her direct question.

Rashow paused and then turned to the young female with patience. "I've had to live day to day to survive." his eyes darkened. "Since I was young."

'So what does that mean for us?' Nala thought sarcastically.

"You've had experience before," He came closer, "What did you learn?"

It felt like to Nala that she was an undercover spy being interrogated.

"Well..." she searched her head hesistantly. "I learned that they're..."

"Yes?" Rashow asked simply.

"Slobbery..."

Chumvi snickered.

Nala perked her ears up. "Mangy..."

The other cubs on either side started suppressing laugther.

"Stupid." A smile lit up her face as they all cracked up.

However, once Nala met Rashow's deep green eyes her smile vanished.

"Do you know how they get food?" he asked, no-nonsense.

"They hunt." She guessed.

"No." the adolscent lion approached Nala with a steely gaze. "They're not hunters in the least. They scavenge" his eyes narrowed. "And they steal."

The good mood evaporated as he seemed to be challenging her now.

"Like you do." Nala stated uneasily, finding her voice.

Rashow lifted his chin. "Yes," he confirmed for them all. "Like I do."

There was a sudden scuffle of paws in the dirt behind some of the tall grass along with a few low, guttural growls. The oldest cub reacted quickly with all the others moving instinctively behind him. Nala hung back, her eyes on him.

"Tojo, Malka, get the girls up in the tree. Chumvi... Nala, flank my sides."

"Flank?" the dark brown male turned quizzically to his sister.

"It's _means _have my back." Rashow explained calmly.

"Oh, yeah!" Chumvi bounded up to his left side.

"Nala?"

She drew back. "Me?"

A smile crossed his face.

Several deep chuckles were heard from behind the covering in front of them as the three main hynea clan appeared in a fanning out tactic. Chumvi and a trembling Nala got down in a crouch as they faced Banzai and Ed's big grins.

"Well, well, well... Little Bandit." Shenzei purred. "Haven't seen the ugly lion likes of you around since you _stole _that carcass of ours. Did you think that it was..." she caught sight of the familiar cub off to his side. "_brave _of you kid?"

Nala jerked back with a whimper.

"Nala," Rashow's voice took on a sharp, firm note.

"Ra-ra...?"

"If you're going to survive now, you _have_ to be fearless." He glanced down.

"B-but-,"

_"Understand?" _

She looked with wide eyes between his own and the gleam of the hyneas'.

"I heard your 'future king' didn't survive..." Shenzei baited slyly.

"Don't." Nala tried to stop her weakly.

"I guess he didn't make it." the lips of her mouth pulled up over her teeth.

A shot of fury struck through her chest.

"All right," Rashow intervened as Malka and Tojo appeared; it was suddenly clear that they had pre-planned this. "Go! Go! GO!" he hollered in command.

There wasn't time to think - just act. There wasn't time to cower or growl or pretend they were stronger or a threat of any kind - there was only time for for them to run and that was what they did. Nala ran alongside Chumvi as the two other male cubs actually herded Kula and Tama passed the hyneas' snapping jaws. They were more wary of Rashow as he stayed at the back of the other cubs. Nala craned her neck back, concerned at once for his safety.

"Nala, listen to me," he said to her as they dashed haphazzardly into the tall grass and bounded just out of the hyneas' clutches, "Will you listen to me?"

She nodded energetically.

"You need to take the lead while I bring up them rear..."

"Rrrr- raw!" Hynea jaws snapped between them.

Nala squealed.

"Do it, Nala!" Rashow ordered her.

She grimanced and nodded again before weaving her way to the front of all the clamoring cubs and other animals who dodged by them and away at the three poachers' advance. The little female cub soon found the opening that Tama and Kula allowed her to go through and just as they hit a rock covered clearing, something happened to Nala - something exciting. A sense of place hit her and she led the others with a broad grin. As they rounded the corner of the grasses, Nala caught sight of an open prairie dog hole and flew for it.

"Go, Nala!" Chumvi cheered.

"Go!" Tama cried excitedly.

The exhilaration hit her hard as she dove paws first into their escape route.

To be continued...

**A/N: **Rashow's an interesting character, rest assured he serves a purpose.

LP


	3. Chapter 3

**I. **

Nala felt the stone floor meet her paws as she landed gently upon it. The rush had swept through her but it only took a moment and a small "phew" to recover - that was until she was knocked off her feet by Chumvi almost bodyslamming into her as he drove his shoulder right into hers. She let out a loud yowl and glared at him as the others arrived to pile on top of them.

"Where's Rashow?" Kula asked right away.

"Why?" her brother nudged her shoulder. "Worried he's hurt?"

"Rashow should be fine," Malka assured them.

"Yeah," Tojo offered a nervous smile, "He was right behind us."

"Then," Nala stepped over to the opening, her heart hammering.

"Where is he?" Tama finished worriedly.

"Right behind ya! Just like Tojo said."

"RASHOW!" the boys called out in unison.

"You made it," Kula beamed.

"Well, it wasn't easy..." He made his way over to the six through the dim light of the underground cave. "First I had to lead them to the back of this place," the adolscent flexed his muscles. "then I had to lose the nimrods."

"You took one on?" Chumvi said, overwhelmingly excited.

"You might say that." Rashow flexed his limber arms again.

Nala pulled away from the others as his eyes fell over to meet hers. The other cubs exchanged looks and separated as one as Rashow took sure steps over to look at her more closely. She shot them all accusatory looks when he suddenly stopped in front of her. Everone held their breaths - - -:

"You were really fearless out there, Nala."

The cub dipped her head down. "No more than anyone else." she said.

"Hey, meet my eyes when I'm talking to you." Rashow tapped her chin up to connect with his gaze. "_There_, now I can see your eyes... they're green."

Nala blanched.

He smiled. "Like mine."

The lioness looked away, a smile also playing on her face.

Chumvi and Tama chuckled.

"All right, everyone," Rashow turned away from her and faced the others in an authorative tone, "It's time to get creative and get ready for tomorrow."

"Ready?" Nala walked up beside him. "For what?"

The lion turned back to her gravely. "Survival lessons."

"We know how to survive." she argued.

"With hyneas roaming your lands? Without any adult protection?"

The princess turned to the frightened eyes of the others.

_"Well?"_

_"_Well..." Nala turned back to him, glowering a little, "No." she admitted.

"Then let me help you." Rashow offered softly.

...

The pre-teen rogue had thought he had found something special with Zira but he had never really considered her a sister or a best friend of any type. That's what he detected in the young queen as he raised her chin up again to see her. She kept her eyes averted in a sort distrustful way as everyone was at work with making war designs with face painting. Rashow could feel the conflict in Nala the longer he was around her - just as he had the other night. She was in a turbulent stage of confusion and fear like he had been.

"It'd help if you'd look up."

Slowly, begrudingly, she met his eyes.

"You look like you've been through a lot." He told her.

She nodded.

His face moved into a way expression. "Can I do your face, Nala?"

Her dark jade eyes traced his square, prominent brown face.

"Okay." Nala said quietly. She held up her own face trustingly and waited.

Rashow grew nervous about proceeding and turned to the other cubs. As Chumvi smushed mud prints onto Tojo's cheeks, Tama drew intricate lines on Malka's with her tongue stuck out and Kula hesitated at even touching the would-be mud mask, Rashow decided to take out what he'd reserved for himself. He casually tipped over several rocks that revealed four basic colors under them that he had been shown by a mysterious monkey guru.

_Red. _He thought as he touched the dark hue and pressed three of his paw stubs against Nala's temples and mid-forehead._ Yellow_. With only two paw stubs on the outside of the middle threesome, he painted two arches going inward to form a circle on her chest_. Orange_. He drew an aura of mixed color around the yellow arches. When the cub opened her eyes and looked down under the leaf bandana Kula and Tama had attached. Nala gasped in shock.

"I thought you'd like it." His husky voice was calm and self-assured.

In a flash, he saw her pained green gaze flicker up at him before she fled.

"Nala!" A few called after her.

Rashow tucked his ears against his scalp in dejection.

...

Night hung open in the sky as the young lion sniffed, brushing the tears in her eyes aside. Today had happened so fast. How had her old world been taken away from her only to be placed entirely on her shoulders? Why did this Rashow lion think she could be incharge; and why had he picked her?

"Nala," someone said her name from the deeper part of the shadows.

She sniffed hard and rubbed at her red eyes. "Uh-huh?"

Rashow stepped over to sit beside her. "I wanted to apologize if I've been going too fast," the lioness cub turned surprised, "It's just that I was very interested in someone else who knew hyneas and I thought that you did."

Nala took a deep breath. "I'm not an expert, Rashow. It was an accident."

He chuckled and contradicted. "It was an 'accident' you ran into them?"

"Well," she clenched her teeth in hard remembrance, "Maybe not. It's just that I feel so weird. If I'm suppose to be a queen, how can I be without a..."

"King." Rashow answered for her.

"Yes." Nala breathed.

_"Well," _He wrapped an arm around her and brought her close.

"Well what?"

"No matter what anyone says... you were very brave today."

Nala pressed into the beginning of his mane and Rashow pulled in closer.

To be continued...

The conclusion will be in my story... The Offspring of an Outlander.

When?

Sometime this year.

Why?

To lead into the story fresh-minded.

Who's it in?

You'll see!

Thanks.

LP.


End file.
